Consequence
by racefh853629
Summary: "I have been retained by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service to represent Mr. G. Callen," he said, gesturing toward the handcuffed man at the table.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I don't own NCIS: Los Angeles, CBS, or any other known entity. This is the story I alluded to within the note of "Forget The Wrong that I've Done", and deals with Callen's arrest. The two stories, however, are not related. NCIS is mentioned in passing, and the titles are from the song "As If We Never Said Goodbye". I hope you guys enjoy the first chapter, and please review. :)

* * *

Whispered Conversations in Over-Crowded Hallways

It wasn't a suit and tie ensemble, but it was as effective as the badge on his hip. He had a briefcase in his hand, one Hetty had managed to dig up from somewhere. The other officers looked on in amusement as he walked by, heading for the interrogation rooms.

He entered one without knocking, finding two men sitting there. One facing the glass mirror, the other one standing across the table from him. The one facing the mirror was handcuffed to the table in front of him, and looked at the entrance with well veiled curiosity. The other man, however, was more annoyed than anything.

"Get out of here, Deeks," the other man said.

Deeks snorted. "You're questioning my client without representation, Carter," he replied.

Carter shook his head. "He didn't ask for his lawyer."

"And let me guess. He also hasn't been very forthcoming."

Carter's look was Deeks's confirmation. "You're not his lawyer."

Deeks set the briefcase down on the table, opening it and retrieving a paper, which he slid over to Carter. "I have been retained by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service to represent Mr. G. Callen," Deeks said, gesturing toward the handcuffed man at the table. "And, as of right now, I need some time alone with my client, so if you don't mind…"

Carter groaned, but turned to pick up the case file.

"Leave that, please. As counsel for the defense, I have a right to see the evidence against my client."

Carter rolled his eyes. "You were there, Deeks. You saw your 'client' shoot that guy. You're an idiot as a cop, but you're even dumber as a lawyer."

Callen's eyes widened minimally, but Deeks just smirked. "How's your wife, Carter?" he asked.

Carter looked confused. "She's fine," he replied.

Deeks nodded. "And Amanda? You still sleeping with her too? Isn't she your partner's wife?"

Carter glowered at Deeks. "You son of a bitch."

Deeks smiled. "Make sure Hanlin shuts off all video and audio recording before you all leave. I want both rooms cleared of anyone and everyone. Privileged conversation with my client."

Carter groaned, glancing at the mirror before leaving. Deeks watched the light go out on the camera before turning off the light in the interrogation room. Callen arched his eyebrows.

"Impressive," he commented lightly.

Deeks shrugged. "Even if they are still in there, can't read nothin' in the dark."

"And you're supposed to take notes and read a case file?"

Deeks produced a mini flashlight. "For when I need it. But I don't need notes on this case right now. I just need to hear it from you. What the hell were you thinking, Callen?"

Callen stiffened slightly. "Deeks," he warned.

Deeks shook his head. "No, G. Don't even try that. What the _hell_ were you thinking?"

Callen narrowed his eyes. "You were there. You should understand. And if you don't…"

Deeks exhaled slowly. "Okay, here's our plan. Man you murdered, codename Chameleon, killed your friends, sending you into a temporary frenzy of insanity with the situation going down as it did."

"Really? You're going with the 'temporary insanity' defense?"

"What do you think we should do? You executed a guy on national television! Director Vance would want you to be arrested and charged, too, if he didn't have bigger issues at the moment. You jeopardized the whole unit here, G. Think about that for the moment."

Callen said nothing for a moment, and Deeks leaned back in the chair. Finally, Callen said, "what do you mean?"

Deeks rolled his eyes. "You need me to explain the thinking?" he asked.

"No. You said Director Vance had bigger issues at the moment. What did you mean?"

Deeks sighed. "NCIS Headquarters was bombed."

Callen flinched. "What do we do?"

Deeks shook his head. "First, _we_ have to get _you_ out of this mess. _Then_, we have to attempt to pick up the pieces for the entirety of the agency."

Callen sighed. "How bad is it?"

Deeks shrugged. "Not sure yet," he said softly. "Details are sketchy right now."

Callen grimaced, but didn't say anything.

"I'm thinking with the deaths of Hunter and Renko, we could logically argue that you weren't sure what you were doing," Deeks said. "That you were just reacting. We can probably get you out today at arraignment, but arguing this before a court might be difficult. We'd have to get a good psychiatrist or psychologist to talk to you, and Nate doesn't count. As your friend, anything he'd say could be compromised. Same goes for Kensi."

"Would you tell me if you did know something?" Callen asked.

Deeks furrowed his brow. "What?"

"About the NCIS bombing."

"Yes, I would. But I-" Deeks's phone chimed, and he fished it out of his pocket. He glanced down at it, reading the message.

"What is it?" Callen asked.

"Hetty. Asking about progress here."

"You're lying."

Deeks rolled his eyes. "I'm not lying. Hetty wants to know how close we are to getting you out of here, because we need you back at NCIS. But, it's not like you're gonna be able to travel to D.C. to help out like you want to. Not until after the trial. We can try to rush it, but there's a decent chance they _will_ convict you. And I really don't know how much I can help you out of this, G. You killed him on television."

Callen furrowed his eyebrows. "How come you keep calling me G?"

Deeks shrugged. "What am I supposed to call you? It's a little awkward to call you Callen in this circumstance. But, if it makes you feel better, I certainly could."

Callen shook his head. "It's okay."

Deeks nodded as his phone chimed again. He checked the message before standing up. "I'm gonna see what I can do to get you out of here for the moment. In the meantime, try not to kill anyone else."

Callen narrowed his eyes.

"And, don't say anything to them," Deeks continued, ignoring the look from his client. "Don't give any explanation, say nothing. Don't make this harder than it needs to be. Once you're out of here, we'll worry about everything else."

Callen nodded.

"I'll be back later, hopefully with some news from D.C. for you."

"Alright," Callen said.

Deeks nodded, turning on the light of the interrogation room. He grabbed the briefcase, giving Callen a short wave before walking out the door. He winked at Carter a little further down the hall before leaving the precinct for the courthouse.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I'm sorry for the long delay between posts... the muse for this story ran away after the season premiere, and I've had a hard time corralling him back... I'm still not a hundred percent sure he's there... Anyway, see the first chapter for the disclaimer. I hope you guys enjoy this one, and please review. :)

* * *

Feel The Early Morning Madness

Hetty met Deeks's eyes as the younger man made his way into the LA County Courthouse. The two of them headed to a less crowded area with benches. Putting the briefcase down on the floor, he plopped down, and she stood before him.

"They're insistent on convicting him to make an example," Deeks said, folding his hands on his lap.

"I'm sure," she replied.

"Callen's agreed with the plea of temporary insanity. I'm checking on arraignment."

She nodded. "We'll arrange to have someone interview him."

"They have to be outside NCIS, Hetty. Otherwise, the prosecution's going to say that we're coaching them."

"I'm well aware of that, Mr. Deeks."

Deeks nodded briefly, looking around before sighing and shaking his head. "I've never represented a blatantly guilty client before," he told her quietly. "I don't know if I can get him out of this."

Hetty sat down next to him, putting her hand on his forearm. "You have the gift of talk, Mr. Deeks," she told him. "You are well aware of this. It is sometimes what saves you in your undercover assignments. This is what Mr. Callen needs."

Deeks exhaled heavily as he nodded again. "I know. I just don't wanna let anyone down if I can't get him off."

She shook her head. "They'll understand you did the best you could. They know you're fighting a losing battle, given that the prosecution has clear video of Mr. Callen shooting the man. If you can…"

"I know," Deeks interrupted. "Paint the picture for the jury to feel Callen's perspective. Try to swing the sympathy vote."

Hetty nodded. "You will do well, Mr. Deeks."

Deeks smiled sadly. "I hope so."

* * *

"Docket ending 2578, People of the State of California versus Mr. G. Callen," the bailiff announced. "One count, first-degree murder."

Callen glanced over at Deeks, who had changed into a suit since the last time the older man had seen him. Deeks seemed to have no reaction to the charge.

"How does your client plead?" the judge asked.

"Not guilty, your honor," Deeks replied.

"Your client shot the victim on national television," A.D.A. Wilkins said.

Deeks looked over at her, opening his mouth to answer. Before he could, the judge interjected with, "we will hear the evidence at a later date. Mr. Callen will be remanded into custody until such time as his trial of evidence will begin. And, Mr. Deeks, I hope you have some compelling arguments to your client's innocence." He banged the gavel, and Deeks and Callen stepped away.

A.D.A. Wilkins caught up to Deeks and Callen on the side of the courtroom. "I start my deals with murder two," she said. "25 years."

Deeks shook his head. "No deal, Marissa," he replied.

"Marty, come on. Your client killed him on national television. Just how do you expect to get him off?"

Deeks just winked and smiled, walking away with Callen.

"You know her well?" Callen asked.

Deeks shrugged. "We worked together briefly while I was at the District Attorney's office. Decided I wanted to become a detective, she stayed there to become an A.D.A."

"You date her?"

Deeks scoffed bitterly. "She'd sleep with anyone to get an advantage."

Callen arched his eyebrows. "You sleep with her?"

Deeks chuckled. "Not me. I'm not that cheap."

Callen laughed lightly.

"You gotta go back to lock up," Deeks said. "I'll be in to see you a little later. I've got some paperwork to file."

Callen nodded seriously, watching as Deeks walked away before being herded back to jail.

* * *

"Well played," Marissa said, walking up to Deeks in the coffee shop near the courthouse.

"I'm sorry?" he replied.

"The motion to expedite the trial. Well played. But we still have plenty of evidence against your client. And, actually, isn't it a conflict of interest for an LAPD officer to be representing a suspect in an active LAPD investigation?"

He smiled. "Captain Hazard mention that?"

She shrugged slightly.

"Was that before or after you slept with him on his desk?"

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Look, Marty, I'm trying to help you out here. Your client is guilty, and you know it. That's why you're playing all the cards no one ever plays. And I give you style points. But it's not going to work. Mr. Callen is going to jail."

He shrugged. "We'll see."

"What do you think you have?"

He smirked. "You'll find out on discovery, won't you?"

She shook her head, holding up her hands in resignation. "I give up trying to help you. You're just as arrogant as any other defense attorney. Except they're usually smarter when it comes to representing guilty clients."

Deeks shook his head. "I'm good, Counselor. I have no intention on accepting a plea bargain on behalf of my client. Least of all without consulting him."

Marissa narrowed her eyes. "You know your client well then, huh? Personal favor?"

He shook his head. "He didn't hire me."

"Then, who did?"

"Isn't that why we have discovery? To find out things?"

She groaned lightly.

Deeks took a step closer to her. "I'm not going to slip up and tell you anything, Counselor," he told her softly. "It's up to you to find the answers you're searching for. And, if you can't, then I'm not going to help you."

Marissa shifted her position slightly. "You used to be sweet, Marty," she said, matching his tone. "What happened to you at LAPD?"

He smiled to himself. "Why don't you try to figure that out, too? Maybe Captain Hazard can give you a hand with that one." He winked at her as he turned and walked away.

* * *

"Not guilty?" Callen asked as Deeks sat across from him.

Deeks shrugged. "No chance to plead a case with guilty," he said. "And we have a case, here."

"No, I know that. Just, why not give the reason?"

Deeks smiled. "Because it's better to play that out in court. Now, the trial is scheduled to start one week from today."

Callen furrowed his brow. "Why?"

"The judge accepted the motion to expedite the trial. The psychiatrist, Dr. Preston, is coming in to talk to you tomorrow morning, so I'll be back then as well."

"Why rush it?" Callen asked suspiciously.

Deeks sighed, leaning in toward Callen as the older man did the same. "The prosecution thinks they have all the time in the world to set things up," he explained softly. "Think of criminal defense as a chess game. You do everything you can to try to throw your opponent off their course. You gotta think three moves ahead and plan for the unexpected."

"Throwing them a curveball doesn't help here, you know."

Deeks smirked as he leaned back. "Trust me, it does."

Callen eyed him questioningly.

"The prosecutor's already scrambling. She's hoping her case comes together nicely in one week. We're hoping it doesn't."

Callen furrowed his brow.

Deeks sighed. "I told you Marissa and I worked at the D.A.'s office together, right?" he asked. At Callen's nod, he continued, "it wasn't as brief as I said earlier. We worked closely together at the beginning, because we were both new lawyers. She's very by-the-book, black-and-white. That's why she works criminal prosecution. She plays to her strengths. I give her credit, she has a very impressive conviction rate. She can do wonders with cases. But, we have an advantage."

"And what's that?" Callen finally asked.

"You're a federal agent. You've done your fair-share of casework."

"But I don't exist."

Deeks shook his head. "G, you started existing the moment you shot the guy on TV."

Callen glared before realizing Deeks was right.

Deeks sighed softly. "The unfortunate thing is to win, we have to expose you."

"And this is okay with everyone?"

"You're a bigger asset to the agency than you think," Deeks replied cryptically.

"So, is that a yes?" Callen asked.

Deeks stood up as the guard made his way in. "I'll be back tomorrow with Dr. Preston."

Callen followed the guard out as Deeks, too, left the room.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I'm sorry for the long delay between updates. My muse for this story is still hiding somewhere, but I will find him! Hopefully soon, while I have some time. I think he's hiding under my bed... Anyway, see the first chapter for the disclaimer. Obviously, again, this was written long before the season 4 premiere, so this goes along with the premise that the Chameleon is dead, Callen did kill him, and Deeks is tasked with defending Callen. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, and please review. :)

* * *

I Know My Way Around Here

She waited, readjusting her shirt and hair. The conference room was empty, for the moment, so she moved her files around on the table in front of her. It wasn't the nicest conference room, but it was one of the better ones for prison. So either Marty or whoever hired him for his client had some pull.

She still had yet to figure that one out.

Marty opened the door, and his client followed with a guard. The guard, at Marty's nod, removed the shackles and retreated through the door.

"You wanted a meet?" Marty asked.

"Murder 2, 25 years," she replied confidently.

"I already told you no."

"You should reconsider it."

He shook his head. "Unless you've uncovered new information, there's nothing in your evidence that'll change my view."

"The trial is in three days, Marty. You really should consider taking a deal. Or at least countering me here."

"There's nothing worth debating, Marissa."

Callen chose to sit down while the lawyers argued.

"You're client's clearly guilty," she said. "He shot the guy, on camera, with hundreds of witnesses. Ballistics match his gun. GSR on his hand. What exactly are you planning to dispute?"

"Doesn't a good prosecutor know the defense's argument before trial? Why do I have to spell it out for you?"

She glanced over to his client, who seemed to smile slightly. "Not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect. That's the only plausible defense, given the report by Dr. Preston. Nice job, by the way."

"Stop badgering my client, Marissa."

She turned her attention back to Marty. "I can't make a deal if you're not willing, so this meeting is worthless."

"I thought that too, but you wanted to meet, so I figured it'd be interesting to see what you'd come up with."

She rolled her eyes. "Good luck, Marty. You're going to need it."

He shrugged. "We'll see."

* * *

After addressing the jury, the judge turned to the lawyers. "Opening arguments may proceed," he said.

A.D.A. Wilkins stepped forward. "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, the defendant is being charged with murder," she said. "He is accused of shooting Marcel Janvier multiple times, a man who was in custody and not posing a threat to anyone at that given time. Mr. Callen shot him, an unarmed man, in front of a news media outlet. The footage you will see in the courtroom clearly shows him pulling the trigger. You will hear from witnesses at the scene, investigators in the case, and the evidence is clear. Mr. Callen shot the victim, who died of his injuries. There is no disputing facts, as I will present to you throughout this trial." She turned and walked back to the prosecution table, giving Deeks a smirk.

Ever the professional, Deeks stood up and ignored her look. "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, for many years, my client, Mr. Callen, has been an officer of the law. He has worked for many different agencies, handling many cases. He is competent in the law, and a highly skilled investigator. He has brought many perpetrators to justice, hunted some of the worst kinds of criminals in history. Marcel Janvier was one of them. Mr. Janvier was also known as The Chameleon. In a personal vendetta against the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and Mr. Callen himself, Mr. Janvier killed two NCIS agents. Agents who were friends of Mr. Callen. And after being arrested, Mr. Janvier manipulated circumstances to which he would have to be released. Things went wrong. Things were said. And as you will hear throughout this trial, Mr. Callen simply reacted. He let his emotions get the best of him. He snapped, and killed Mr. Janvier. Temporary insanity, ladies and gentlemen." Deeks made his way back to the defense table, sneaking a quick peek over to A.D.A. Wilkins.

* * *

"Could you state the cause of death for the jury?" A.D.A. Wilkins asked.

"The victim died of penetrating gunshot wounds to the chest," Dr. Ecklund said.

"No further questions," she replied, sitting down.

Deeks stood up. "Dr. Ecklund, you've been the Chief Medical Examiner for Los Angeles County for many years, is that correct?" he asked, walking around the table.

"Asked and answered," A.D.A. Wilkins said.

"Proceed with caution, Mr. Deeks," the judge warned. "You may answer the question."

"Yes," Dr. Ecklund replied.

"And in your many years of being Medical Examiner, you've dealt with many homicides, is that correct?" Deeks asked.

"Yes."

"Gunshot fatalities?"

"Yes."

"From more than one bullet wound?"

"Yes."

"You also have had qualifications in forensic psychology, is that correct?"

"Yes."

"In fact, you testified recently in a case in which you interviewed a suspect for a psychological assessment, correct?"

"Objection," Wilkins said. "Relevance?"

"Establishing forensic credentials not covered by Medical Examiner to assess the crime," Deeks replied.

"Overruled," the judge replied.

"Dr. Ecklund, if you could answer the question."

"Yes, I testified to my psychological assessment," Dr. Ecklund said.

"Given your background as a Medical Examiner and Forensic Psychologist, what does multiple gunshots to the chest of a body mean?" Deeks asked.

"One well-placed gunshot to a body will mean death."

"And multiple well-placed gunshots?"

"Overkill."

"And tell me, Doctor, what does overkill mean, in psychological terms?"

"Crime of passion."

"What, like love?"

Dr. Ecklund shook his head. "Usually anger, rage, betrayal, hate."

"Thank you. No further questions, Doctor."

Dr. Ecklund stepped down as Wilkins stood up. "The prosecution calls…"

* * *

"And this tape has not been altered in any way, correct?" Wilkins asked.

"That is correct," Albert Praveman, the TV producer, answered.

"No further questions." She moved back behind the table, and Deeks stood up.

"Mr. Praveman, you testified that your news crew was onsite due to a tip," Deeks said. "What did this tip say was going to happen?"

"The tip said a hostage exchange was to be performed," Praveman replied.

"I can see how that would be news worthy. Did the person who called in the tip identify themselves?"

"Objection," Wilkins said. "He has the right to protect his sources."

"Sustained," the judge said.

"Okay," Deeks said. "Let me ask you this, then. Did the person who called in the tip have an accent?"

Praveman looked at Wilkins and the judge, neither of whom seemed phased by the question. Praveman answered, "yes."

"And did the accented person who gave you the tip say anything more about this purported hostage exchange?"

"He said things could get hairy, and that he was offering an exclusive to be there before any other news station."

"Allowing your channel the scoop."

"Yes."

Deeks nodded. "And this video, clearly, shows Mr. Javier being shot. Did your news team catch any audio around the van?"

"No."

"Any words prior to the gunshots?"

"No."

"Nothing to indicate why a federal agent would draw down on a prisoner and fire multiple shots to the chest?"

"No, but…"

"But?" Deeks probed.

Praveman glanced at Wilkins and the judge.

"Finish your statement, please, Mr. Praveman," Deeks said.

"But, the tip had never said anything about a prisoner or a federal agent," Praveman finished. "It simply said there'd be a hostage exchange. There was no mention of police involvement."

"No further questions." Deeks sat back down, and Callen leaned over.

"How exactly does that help us?" he asked his lawyer.

Deeks just smiled.

"You know, that's really starting to get annoying."

* * *

"And the firearm you tested, in your expert opinion, is that the weapon that fired the fatal bullets?" A.D.A. Wilkins asked.

"Yes," Jenna Harter, LAPD firearms analyst, replied.

"And when you ran the serial number on the gun, what did you find?"

"The gun was registered to the Naval Criminal Investigative Service."

"Did you contact them?"

"Yes."

"Did they tell you who the gun was issued to?"

"Yes."

"And who was the gun issued to?"

"Agent G. Callen."

"No further questions." She sat down, and Deeks stood up.

"I have no questions for this witness," he said, sitting back down.

And not for the first time, Callen shot a questioning glance over at Deeks.

* * *

"What are we doing?" Callen asked on recess.

"There's no point cross-examining the ballistics expert," Deeks replied casually.

"And why not?"

"Because our case has nothing to do with the gun being yours or not. It's about your state of mind at the time of the shooting. _That_ is what we need to focus on."

"And the part with the producer?"

Deeks sighed. "A hostage exchange is different than a prisoner exchange to a jury. Hostage implies innocence. Prisoner implies guilt. Calling in a tip about a hostage exchange makes people believe that the persons being exchanged ended up in a bad place by mistake. Which means that Janvier wanted people to believe he was innocent, so should anything go wrong, it would appear to be an execution."

"He deserved it," Callen muttered bitterly.

"And that, my friend, is what I need to make the jury believe," Deeks said. "It's all about implications. You're an officer. He was in your custody. He was screwing with you after he killed your friends. These are the things we need to make known to the jury. You're not a bad person. You just snapped. And a reasonable person could have done the same. Janvier called in the tip. This we will show with evidence. He didn't announce he was in custody, because of implications. He set you up. He _wanted_ you to kill him. And normally, you wouldn't have, but you'd been pushed too far already. Not your fault."

"Temporary insanity."

Deeks nodded.

Callen sighed. "Be honest with me for a minute, Deeks," he said softly.

"Okay," Deeks replied.

"Do we have a chance to win this?"

Deeks shrugged. "We'll see."


End file.
